I don't do well with the 11-15 and adults. When I have done adult walk around It seem to go well but my confidence is not up to it. I have a narrow field I work in, that being restaurant work and family shows, the more K-6 age the better. I have not tried to do much else because I don't think I do other venues well enough.

The no comedy rule sounds rather odd. Maybe it was just to deter people who thought they could do stand up. I can't imagine you'd be disqualified for telling a clean joke or doing an amusing effect.

I would have to do a lot of adaption to do my kid show with a mic on a stand but that is how I work my adult show. I do quite fancy the old fashion ones.

Gigs I can't do? There's a lot of them! I have trouble with the 11-15s aswell. I've a kind of silly but smart act. Under 10s love the silly, over 15s appreciate that the silly is quite smart. 11-15 year olds don't get the smart bit and assume the silly is just silly.

I recently realise my walkaround act for adults need a lot of work.

I suppose you have to work out what audiences/situations you can't work because it doesn't work with your style and what you can't do properly because you don't have the experience.

I've been doing stand up for over 2 years now and only recently have got enough experience to open a comedy club or MC properly.

George

I struggle in a show full of 11 to 15 year olds. I will pass on requests for formal shows, but will take the the close-up gigs. It seems this age group has a pressing need to guess how any effect is done before it is finished. This can totally gum up an otherwise good show. Performing close-up for this age group is less structured and more suited to this age group.


I also hate being too far away from my audience. Performing magic is about being able to see and hear. I once requested a stage at a festival where I thought people would not be able to see my show. I arrived to find the thing was about 10 feet long and 5 feet off the ground. To see my show at all, folks would have had to stand back too far. I put my show up in front of the stage and used it for a back drop. A lesson on being careful what you ask for.

Good tip derrick. I did that last year at a county fair near me. I was to perform after the band was done. Instead of making the band hurry up and get off the stage, I just set up on the ground in front of the stage so I was good and close to the spectators. That way I could easily go up and shake someone's hand if they said something funny, try to take someone's cell phone if it rang, etc.

Makes a huge difference to me.

My greatest challenge would be the "elderly facilities", especially in the sections where patients/residents require a high level of skilled care. I feel as though I really struggle When performing shows at this type of venue. I have tried several times and fully admit I am not the best fit for this "demographic".....

I completely forgot about this segment. I enjoy performing at independent living communities for seniors. Most of these residents are still alert and active and enjoy my Vaudeville-style program.

But, I politely decline most nursing homes and senior "daycares" simply because there is very little feedback to work with. I generally refer these to a buddy with a very bright and colorful stage show that requires less verbal interaction.

I do those and don't like them and do them anyway just to work in new lines/bits etc. or just to try out a new routine. I keep the show very short. about 20 minutes.
I think we're all in the same boat with that kind of show. my very first show WAS a nursing home show and thank god for the nurses.

I do some nursing homes. I don't think they're anybody's 'best fit'. I have to work hard to engage them and I try to include everyone. It's difficult to tell who understands what's going on and who doesn't. Although I do charge (a discounted rate) for these shows, I don't do them for the money nor do I expect them to be particularly rewarding or fun for me, at least not in the usual way a show is rewarding. I do these shows for the residents. Some get more out of it than others, absolutely, and some may not be getting anything. They tend not to be very responsive. I do rely on the nurses and staff to help me with the interactive stuff. These shows are hard, they're not much fun. But these shows are really not about me. I know that doing a little show is not going to really change things for them either, but for the time I'm there, they have something a little more fun for a little while.

One thing though that has been a nice surprise has been how well they like Henry. I do walk-around with him after the main show, and when he engages them one-on-one, even those who haven't been responsive during the show just light up. It's really amazing, as close to real magic as I get.

I do nursing homes all the time. If the residents are sleeping the staff always laugh.

I am not fond of Bat Mitzvah's because there is nothing less fun than a room full of 13 year old girls. I found this odd because some of my best audiences were tween aged girls too.

Al, that wasn't a nursing home, it was your highschool reunion! Parumpum!

Like many others, I find that I do sometimes dread working
gigs for 9-10-11 year boys ... especially a party with ALL
boys. That's a recipe for fear.

The most difficult gigs EVER were the ones where I arrived
and it was a party with 4 or so nine-year old boys, plus Mom
and Dad. That is one TOUGH crowd!

My sweet spot is a roomful of a couple dozen 4-6 year olds,
a mix of boys&girls, plus a scattering of parents as well.
That's a whole lot of fun.

I will admit, however, that the absolute scariest audiences
I ever faced was when I ran for office in 2007... compared to
surly voters, any room of party-crazed kids is a breeze.

--Jack Turk